The 1908 St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 27th season in St. Louis, Missouri and its 17th season in the National League. The Cardinals had a 49–105 win-loss record during the season and finished 8th (last) in the National League, the season's attendance of 185,377, an average of less than 2,500 a game, which remains the lowest peace-time attendance level since 1901. The Cardinals set a Major League record which stills stands for the fewest base on balls by a team in a season, with 282.[1] Additionally, they hold the MLB record for fewest runs scored in a season with 372, only 2.42 runs per contest.

The Cardinals ranked last in three categories in the National League: runs scored (only 371), runs allowed (626), and errors committed (348),[2] the team was shut out a record 33 times. Three lineup regulars batted below .200. Only three drove in more than 20 runs, and the team lost more than 100 games for the second and last time in franchise history, the Cards set a club record with 105 losses and a league record for most defeats in a month when they went 7–27 in September (Brooklyn went 6–27 that same month[3]).

One team member, Bugs Raymond, ranked among the league leaders in fewest hits per nine innings, resulting in a 2.03 ERA. However, the Cardinals were shut out 11 times on days Raymond took the hill, leading to his league-high 25 losses, his 15 wins accounted for almost a third of the team's wins. Of note, he gave up fewer hits per game than Christy Mathewson, and threw five shutouts.[4]

^Crazy ’08: How a cast of Cranks, Rogues, Boneheads and Magnates created the Greatest Year in Baseball History, p. 160, by Cait Murphy, Smithsonian Books, a Division of Harper Collins, 2007, ISBN978-0-06-088937-1

1.
National League
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Both leagues currently have 15 teams. The two league champions of 1903 arranged to compete against each other in the inaugural World Series, after the 1904 champions failed to reach a similar agreement, the two leagues formalized the World Series as an arrangement between the leagues. National League teams have won 48 of the 112 World Series contested from 1903 to 2016, the 2016 National League champions are the Chicago Cubs. By 1875, the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players was dangerously weak, additionally, Hulbert had a problem—five of his star players were threatened with expulsion from the NAPBBP because Hulbert had signed them to his club using what were considered questionable means. Hulbert had a vested interest in creating his own league. After recruiting St. Louis privately, four western clubs met in Louisville, Kentucky, Boston Red Stockings, the dominant team in the N. A. Hartford Dark Blues from the N. A. Mutual of New York from the N. A. St. Louis Brown Stockings from the N. A, the only strong club from 1875 excluded in 1876 was a second one in Philadelphia, often called the White Stockings or Phillies. The first game in National League history was played on April 22,1876, at Philadelphias Jefferson Street Grounds, 25th & Jefferson, the new leagues authority was tested after the first season. The National League operated with six clubs during 1877 and 1878, over the next several years, various teams joined and left the struggling league. By 1880, six of the eight members had folded. The two remaining original NL franchises, Boston and Chicago, remain in operation today as the Atlanta Braves, in 1883 the New York Gothams and Philadelphia Phillies began National League play. Both teams remain in the NL today, the Phillies in their original city, the NL encountered its first strong rival organization when the American Association began play in 1882. The A. A. played in cities where the NL did not have teams, offered Sunday games and alcoholic beverages in locales where permitted, the National League and the American Association participated in a version of the World Series seven times during their ten-year coexistence. These contests were less organized than the modern Series, lasting as few as three games and as many as fifteen, with two Series ending in disputed ties, the NL won four times and the A. A. only once, in 1886. Starting with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1887, the National League began to raid the American Association for franchises to replace NL teams that folded and this undercut the stability of the A. A. Other new leagues that rose to compete with the National League were the Union Association, the Union Association was established in 1884 and folded after playing only one season, its league champion St. Louis Maroons joining the NL. The NL suffered many defections of star players to the Players League, the Brooklyn, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and New York franchises of the NL absorbed their Players League counterparts. The labor strife of 1890 hastened the downfall of the American Association, after the 1891 season, the A. A. disbanded and merged with the NL, which became known legally for the next decade as the National League and American Association

2.
1893 in baseball
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The following are the baseball events of the year 1893 throughout the world. National League, Boston Beaneaters June 19 – Baltimore Orioles outfielder Piggy Ward reached base a record 17 times in 17 consecutive plate appearances, the record would be matched 69 years later, when catcher Earl Averill, Jr. tied that mark in 1962. August 16 – Bill Hawke of the Baltimore Orioles pitches a no-hitter against the Washington Senators in a 5–0 win and it is the first no-hitter thrown from the modern-day pitching distance of 606. August 18 – The Boston Beaneaters set a Major League record which stands for the most batters hit by a pitch in an inning. Four batters are hit in the 2nd inning in the game with the Pittsburgh Pirates, november 21 – Ban Johnson is named president, secretary, and treasurer of the recently reorganized Western League. Under Johnsons leadership the WL will prosper, catcher for two teams in 1881. April 18 – Fred Siefke,23, third baseman for the 1890 Brooklyn Gladiators

3.
St. Louis
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St. Louis is an independent city and major U. S. port in the state of Missouri, built along the western bank of the Mississippi River, on the border with Illinois. Prior to European settlement, the area was a regional center of Native American Mississippian culture. The city of St. Louis was founded in 1764 by French fur traders Pierre Laclède and Auguste Chouteau, in 1764, following Frances defeat in the Seven Years War, the area was ceded to Spain and retroceded back to France in 1800. In 1803, the United States acquired the territory as part of the Louisiana Purchase, during the 19th century, St. Louis developed as a major port on the Mississippi River. In the 1870 Census, St. Louis was ranked as the 4th-largest city in the United States and it separated from St. Louis County in 1877, becoming an independent city and limiting its own political boundaries. In 1904, it hosted the Louisiana Purchase Exposition and the Summer Olympics, the economy of metro St. Louis relies on service, manufacturing, trade, transportation of goods, and tourism. This city has become known for its growing medical, pharmaceutical. St. Louis has 2 professional sports teams, the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball, the city is commonly identified with the 630-foot tall Gateway Arch in Downtown St. Louis. The area that would become St. Louis was a center of the Native American Mississippian culture and their major regional center was at Cahokia Mounds, active from 900 AD to 1500 AD. Due to numerous major earthworks within St. Louis boundaries, the city was nicknamed as the Mound City and these mounds were mostly demolished during the citys development. Historic Native American tribes in the area included the Siouan-speaking Osage people, whose territory extended west, European exploration of the area was first recorded in 1673, when French explorers Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette traveled through the Mississippi River valley. Five years later, La Salle claimed the region for France as part of La Louisiane. The earliest European settlements in the area were built in Illinois Country on the east side of the Mississippi River during the 1690s and early 1700s at Cahokia, Kaskaskia, migrants from the French villages on the opposite side of the Mississippi River founded Ste. In early 1764, after France lost the 7 Years War, Pierre Laclède, the early French families built the citys economy on the fur trade with the Osage, as well as with more distant tribes along the Missouri River. The Chouteau brothers gained a monopoly from Spain on the fur trade with Santa Fe, French colonists used African slaves as domestic servants and workers in the city. In 1780 during the American Revolutionary War, St. Louis was attacked by British forces, mostly Native American allies, the founding of St. Louis began in 1763. Pierre Laclede led an expedition to set up a fur-trading post farther up the Mississippi River, before then, Laclede had been a very successful merchant. For this reason, he and his trading partner Gilbert Antoine de St. Maxent were offered monopolies for six years of the fur trading in that area

4.
Frank Robison
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Frank DeHass Robison was an American businessman, best known as a baseball executive. He was the organizer of the Cleveland Spiders franchise, and owned or part-owned the club throughout its existence, along with his brother, Stanley Robison, he was also co-owner of the St. Louis Perfectos/Cardinals baseball team of the National League from 1899 through 1911. After briefly attending Delaware University, Robison went into business with his father-in-law, Charles Hathaway, operating streetcars in Cleveland, in 1887, he used funds from this business to start up a baseball team, the Cleveland Blues. He continued to operate in areas for the next two decades, including financing the construction of League Park in 1889, and the formation of the Cleveland City Railway Company in 1893. In 1899, the Robison brothers were responsible for the worst Major League Baseball team in history, before the season, the Robisons purchased the bankrupt St. Louis Browns from Chris von der Ahe and renamed them the Perfectos. Following this debacle, the practice of allowing the owners to run multiple teams was outlawed. Following Robisons death in 1908, Stanley Robison became sole owner of the Cardinals until his death in 1911, when the franchise was bequeathed to Stanleys daughter Helene Hathaway Britton

5.
Stanley Robison
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Martin Stanford Stanley Robison was an American owner and manager in Major League Baseball. Robison was the owner of the St. Louis Cardinals from 1899 to 1911 and he was also part-owner of the Cleveland Spiders for most of their existence, from 1887 to 1899. During the 1905 season, he took over as manager of the Cardinals for the final 50 games and he finished with a managerial record of 19 wins,31 losses in 50 games. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he died in Cleveland, Ohio, St. Louis Cardinals managers and ownership Baseball-Reference manager page

6.
St. Louis Cardinals
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The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball as a club of the National League Central division. Busch Stadium has been their home ballpark since 2006, with origins as one of the early professional baseball clubs in St. Upon the discontinuation of the AA, St. Louis joined the NL in 1892, at time, they were called the Browns. One of the most successful franchises in history, the Cardinals have won 11 World Series championships. Their 19 National League pennants rank third in NL history, in addition, St. Louis has won 13 division titles in the East and Central divisions. While still in the AA, St. Louis won four league championships, the Cardinals have won 105 or more games in four different seasons and won 100 or more a total of nine times. Cardinals players have won 20 league MVPs, four batting Triple Crowns, and three Cy Young Awards. Baseball Hall of Fame inductees include Lou Brock, Dizzy Dean, Bob Gibson, Whitey Herzog, Rogers Hornsby, Joe Medwick, Stan Musial, Branch Rickey, Red Schoendienst, Ozzie Smith, and Bruce Sutter. In 2016, Forbes valued the Cardinals at $1.6 billion, making them the 7th-most valuable franchise in MLB, their revenue the year was $300 million. Since their purchase in 1995, owner William DeWitt, Jr. s investment group has seen enormous growth from the $147 million purchase price, John Mozeliak is the general manager and Mike Matheny is the manager. Professional baseball began in St. Louis with the inception of the Brown Stockings in the National Association in 1875, the NA folded following that season, and the next season, St. Louis joined the National League as a charter member, finishing in third place at 45-19. George Bradley hurled the first no-hitter in Major League history, the NL expelled St. Louis from the league after 1877 due to a game-fixing scandal and the team went bankrupt. Without a league, they continued play as a barnstorming team through 1881. For the 1882 season, Chris von der Ahe purchased the team, reorganized it, and made it a member of the American Association. 1882 is generally considered to be the first year existence of the St. Louis Cardinals, the next season, St. Louis shortened their name to the Browns. Soon thereafter they became the dominant team in the AA, as manager Charlie Comiskey guided St. Louis to four pennants in a row from 1885 to 1888. Pitcher and outfielder Bob Caruthers led the league in ERA and wins in 1885 and he also led the AA in OBP and OPS in 1886 and finished fourth in batting average in 1886 and fifth in 1887

7.
Base on balls
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The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseballs Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08. The term base on balls distinguishes a walk from the manners in which a batter can be awarded first base without liability to be put out. An important difference is that for a hit batter or catchers interference, the ball is dead and no one may advance unless forced, a batter who draws a base on balls is commonly said to have been walked by the pitcher. When the batter is walked, runners advance one base without liability to be put out only if forced to vacate their base to allow the batter to take first base.04. Receiving a base on balls does not count as a hit or an at bat for a batter but does count as a time on base, therefore, a base on balls does not affect a players batting average, but it can increase his on-base percentage. A hit by pitch is not counted statistically as a walk, though the effect is mostly the same, one exception is that on a HBP, the ball is dead. On a HBP, any runners attempting to steal on the play must return to their original base unless forced to the next base anyway. When a walk occurs, the ball is live, any runner not forced to advance may nevertheless attempt to advance at his own risk. Also, because a ball is live when a base on balls occurs, runners on base forced to advance one base may attempt to advance one base. The batter-runner himself may attempt to advance beyond first base, at his own risk, rule 6.08 addresses this matter as well. An attempt to advance an additional base beyond the base awarded might occur when ball four is a ball or a wild pitch. In 1880, the National League changed the rules so that eight balls instead of nine were required for a walk, in 1884, the National League changed the rules so that six balls were required for a walk. In 1887, the National League and American Association agreed to abide by some uniform rule changes, in 1889, the National League and the American Association decreased the number of balls required for a walk to four. In 2017, Major League Baseball approved a change allowing for a batter to be walked intentionally by having the defending bench signal to the Umpire. The move was met some controversy. A subset of the base on balls, a base on balls or intentional walk is when the pitcher deliberately pitches the ball away from the batter in order to issue a base on balls. As with any other walk, an intentional walk entitles the batter to first base without liability to be put out, intentional walks are a strategic defensive maneuver, commonly done to bypass one hitter for one the defensive team believes is less likely to initiate a run-scoring play. Teams also commonly use intentional walks to set up a play or force out situation for the next batter

8.
Run (baseball)
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A player may score by hitting a home run or by any combination of plays that puts him safely on base as a runner and subsequently brings him home. The object of the game is for a team to score more runs than its opponent. But if the out is not a force out, but a tag out, then if that other baserunner crosses home plate before that tag out is made. Example 1, With a runner on third and two outs, batter hits a ball to the second baseman. The runner on third races home, the second baseman fields the ball and throws on to the first baseman in time to get the batter on the force out at first for the third out of the inning. Even if the runner on third had touched home plate before that force out was made at first, example 2, With a runner on third and two outs, batter hits a fly ball over centerfielders head. It bounces several times as it rolls to the wall, the runner on third runs safely home and easily scores a run. Meanwhile, the batter reaches first, then tries to advance to second. The centerfielder, having retrieved the ball, throws the ball to the second baseman, since the runner stepped on home plate before the batter was tagged out at second for the third out of the inning, his run will count. In baseball statistics, a player who advances around all the bases to score is credited with a run, while runs scored is considered an important individual batting statistic, it is regarded as less significant than runs batted in. Both individual runs scored and runs batted in are heavily context-dependent, for a more sophisticated assessment of a contribution toward producing runs for his team. If the inning is reconstructed without the error, and if that third batter, instead of reaching on an error, registered an out, thus, the two runs that did score will be classified as unearned, and will not count in the pitchers personal statistics. Be advised though that unearned runs are a statistical animal only, all runs count the same in the score, whether they are earned or unearned. The career record for most runs scored by a player is 2,295. The season record for most runs scored is 198, set by Billy Hamilton of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1894, the so-called modern-day record is 177, achieved by Babe Ruth of the New York Yankees in 1921. The record for most seasons leading one of the leagues in runs scored is 8. The record for most consecutive games with at least one run scored is 18, shared by the Yankees Red Rolfe and the Cleveland Indians Kenny Lofton. The record for most runs scored by a player in a game is 7

9.
Error (baseball)
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The term error can also refer to the play during which an error was committed. In that case, the play will be scored both as a hit and an error. Similarly, a batter does not receive credit for a run batted in when runs score on an error, passed balls and wild pitches are separate statistical categories and are not scored as errors. There is a loophole in the rules on errors for catchers. There is therefore a no fault condition for the attempting to prevent a steal. However, when considering that the majority of stolen base attempts are successful, if the runner takes an additional base due to the wild throw, an error is charged for that advance. However, if the catchers glove is hit by the bat, it is counted as a catchers interference, traditionally, the number of errors was a statistic used to quantify the skill of a fielder. However, fans and analysts have questioned the usefulness and significance of errors as a metric for fielding skill, notably, mental misjudgments, such as failure to cover a base or attempting a force out when such a play is not available, are not considered errors. A more subtle, though more significant objection to the error, in order for a fielder to be charged with an error, he must have done something right by being in the correct place to be able to attempt the play. A poor fielder may avoid many errors simply by being unable to reach batted or thrown balls that a fielder could successfully reach. Thus, it is possible that a poor fielder will have fewer errors than any fielder with higher expectancies, however, this still leaves statistics, such as fielding percentage, that are based on errors as a way to compare the defensive abilities of players. Errors also hold significance in calculating the earned run average of a pitcher, runs scored due to an error are unearned, and do not count toward a pitchers ERA. In Major League Baseball, Herman Long holds the Major League records with 1096 errors in his career between 1889 and 1904, bill Dahlen, Deacon White and Germany Smith are the only other players to make 1,000 errors during their MLB careers. All of these players played at least one season before 1900, the 20th century record is held by Rabbit Maranville with 711 errors. Among active players, Adrián Beltré leads with 275 errors over 2475 career games as of June 14,2015, the major league record for errors by a pitcher in a career is held by Hippo Vaughn, with 64 errors. That also is the National League record, the American career mark is held by Ed Walsh. The most errors made by a pitcher in a season is 28 by Jim Whitney, the American League record of 15 is held by three pitchers, Jack Chesbro, Rube Waddell, and Ed Walsh. The record for most errors made by a pitcher in one inning is three, first set by Cy Seymour in 1898, the record was tied by Tommy John in 1988, Jaime Navarro in 1996 and Mike Sirotka in 1999

10.
Bugs Raymond
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Arthur Lawrence Bugs Raymond was a Major League Baseball pitcher from 1904 to 1911. He played for the Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Cardinals and he started his professional baseball career with the Waterloo Microbes in 1904. After a short stint with the Tigers, Raymond returned to the minors and he developed his spitball sometime in 1906. With the new pitch, he had a big season in 1907, Raymond pitched a no-hitter that year, as well, and led Charleston to the pennant. The Cardinals purchased him in September, and in 1908, he was the best pitcher on the team and his 2.03 earned run average ranked tenth in the National League, and his 145 strikeouts were fourth-best. During the 1908 season, he gave up fewer hits per game than Christy Mathewson and threw five shutouts, Raymond was known for his spitball and got his nickname because of his zany antics on the mound. What might have been a career was short-circuited by a perpetual addiction to alcohol. The only manager who could keep Raymond in line for any length of time was hard-nosed Giants manager John McGraw, McGraw picked him up in the Roger Bresnahan trade before the 1909 season, and Bugs won 18 games for him that year. However, Raymond could never stay sober for long, McGraw tried everything – including fining him so there wouldnt be any money left for drinks and hiring a detective to trail Bugs – but nothing worked. In addition, Raymond had a performance on the mound in 1910. He was released midway through the Giants 1911 pennant-winning season, in 1912, after a stint with the Cincinnati Pippins of the short-lived United States League, Raymond got into a number of fights in Chicago and ended up badly beaten. He died of a fractured skull a few weeks later at age 30

11.
Earned run average
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In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched, runs resulting from defensive errors are recorded as unearned runs and omitted from ERA calculations. Henry Chadwick is credited with devising the statistic, which caught on as a measure of pitching effectiveness after relief pitching came into vogue in the 1900s. Some criterion was needed to capture the apportionment of earned-run responsibility for a pitcher in games that saw contributions from other pitchers for the same team, a pitcher is assessed an earned run for each run scored by a batter who reaches base while batting against that pitcher. The National League first tabulated official earned run average statistics in 1912, recently written baseball encyclopedias display ERAs for earlier years, but these were computed retroactively. Negro League pitchers are often rated by RA, or total runs allowed, as with batting average, the definition of a good ERA varies from year to year. During the dead-ball era of the 1900s and 1910s, an ERA below 2.00 was considered good, in the 1960s, sub-2.00 ERAs returned, as other influences such as ballparks with different dimensions were introduced. Today, an ERA under 4.00 is again considered good, the all-time record for the lowest single season earned run average by a pitcher pitching 300 or more innings is 1.12, set by Bob Gibson in 1968. The record for the lowest career earned run average is 1.82, held by Ed Walsh, but a purported record based on so few innings pitched is highly misleading. Over the years, more than a dozen part-time pitchers have pitched 105 or more innings and had a run average lower than 0.86. Some sources may list players with infinite ERAs and this can happen if a pitcher allows one or more earned runs without retiring a batter. Additionally, an undefined ERA occasionally occurs at the beginning of a baseball season and it is sometimes incorrectly displayed as zero or as the lowest ranking ERA, even though it is more akin to the highest. At times it can be misleading to judge relief pitchers solely on ERA, because they are charged only for runs scored by batters who reached base while batting against them. Thus, if a pitcher enters the game with his team leading by 1 run, with 2 outs and the bases loaded. If he retires the batter, his ERA for that game will be 0.00 despite having surrendered the lead. Starting pitchers operate under the rules but are not called upon to start pitching with runners already on base. The relievers freedom to use their energy for a few innings, or even for just a few batters. ERA, taken by itself, can also be misleading when trying to objectively judge starting pitchers, the advent of the designated hitter rule in the American League in 1973 made the pitching environment significantly different

12.
Christy Mathewson
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He was among the most dominant pitchers in baseball history, and ranks in the all-time top ten in several key pitching categories, including wins, shutouts, and ERA. In fact, he is the only pitcher in history to rank in the top ten both in career wins and in career ERA, if taking 19th century pitchers statistics into account. Mathewson grew up in Factoryville, Pennsylvania, and began playing baseball when he was 14 years old. He played in the leagues in 1899, recording a record of 21 wins. He pitched for the New York Giants the next season but was sent back to the minors and he would eventually return to the Giants and go on to win 373 games in his career, a National League record. He led the Giants to victory in the 1905 World Series by pitching three shutouts, Mathewson never pitched on Sundays, owing to his Christian beliefs. Mathewson served in the United States Armys Chemical Warfare Service in World War I and his respiratory system was weakened from the exposure, causing him to contract tuberculosis, from which he died in Saranac Lake, New York. Mathewson was born in Factoryville, Pennsylvania and attended school at Keystone Academy. He attended college at Bucknell University, where he served as class president and he was also a member of the fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta. His first experience of baseball came in 1895, when he was just 14 years old. The manager of the Factoryville ball club asked him to pitch in a game with a team in Mill City. Mathewson helped his team to a 19-17 victory, but with his batting rather than his pitching. He continued to play baseball during his years at Bucknell, pitching for minor league teams in Honesdale and Meridian, Mathewson was selected to the Walter Camp All-American football team in 1900. In 1899, Mathewson signed to professional baseball with Taunton of the New England League. The next season, he moved on to play on the Norfolk team of the Virginia-North Carolina League and he finished that season with a 20–2 record. He continued to attend Bucknell during that time period, in July of that year, the New York Giants purchased his contract from Norfolk for $1,500. Between July and September 1900 Mathewson appeared in six games for the Giants and he started one of those games and compiled a 0–3 record. Displeased with his performance, the Giants returned him to Norfolk, later that month, the Cincinnati Reds picked up Mathewson off the Norfolk roster

13.
History of the St. Louis Browns
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This article covers the franchises history in St. Louis, which began when the team moved from Milwaukee after the 1901 season and ended with the teams move to Baltimore after the 1953 season. As of April 6,2017, there are only 14 living former St. Louis Browns players, in the late 19th century, the team existed as the Milwaukee Brewers in the Western League. For the 1900 season, the Western League was renamed to American League, Johnson had originally intended to move the Milwaukee Brewers to St. Louis. When he couldnt find an owner, he was forced to operate the team in Milwaukee for a lame-duck season in 1901. Hedges built a new park on the site of the old Browns former home, in their first St. Louis season, the Browns finished second. Although the Browns had only four winning seasons from 1902 to 1922, in 1909, the Browns rebuilt Sportsmans Park as the third concrete-and-steel park in the majors. During this time, the Browns were best known for their role in the race for the 1910 American League batting title. Ty Cobb took the last game of the season off, believing that his lead over Nap Lajoie, of the Cleveland Naps. Browns manager Jack OConnor had ordered rookie third baseman Red Corriden to play on the outfield grass and this all but conceded a hit for any ball Lajoie bunted. Lajoie bunted five straight times down the base line and made it to first easily. On his last at-bat, Lajoie reached base on an error – officially giving him a hitless at-bat, OConnor and coach Harry Howell tried to bribe the official scorer, a woman, to change the call to a hit – even offering to buy her a new wardrobe. Cobb won the title by just a few thousandths of a point over Lajoie. After news broke of the scandal, a writer for the St. Louis Post claimed, All St. Louis is up in arms over the spectacle, conceived in stupidity. The resulting outcry triggered an investigation by American League president Ban Johnson, at his insistence, Hedges fired OConnor and Howell, both men were informally banned from baseball for life. In 1916, Hedges sold the Browns to Philip DeCatesby Ball, Balls early tenure saw the clubs first real sustained period of success on the field, they were a contender for most of the early 1920s. This was fueled by Balls free spending to put a winner of the field, however, Ball made a series of blunders that would ultimately doom the franchise. Shortly after buying the team, he fired general manager Branch Rickey, four years later, Ball allowed the Cardinals to move out of dilapidated Robison Field and share Sportsmans Park with the Browns. Rickey and Cardinals owner Sam Breadon used the proceeds from the Robison Field sale to build baseballs first modern farm system and this effort eventually produced several star players that brought the Cardinals more drawing power than the Browns

14.
Chris von der Ahe
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Christian Friedrich Wilhelm von der Ahe was a German entrepreneur, best known as the owner of the St. Louis Brown Stockings of the American Association, now known as the St. Louis Cardinals. Von der Ahe arrived in New York City but quickly moved to St. Louis, later, he bought out the store owner and expanded business by establishing a saloon in the back of the store. He named the team the Browns and hired future Chicago White Sox owner Charles Comiskey to play first base, Von der Ahe took a very active role in the team, even though he knew almost nothing about baseball. He was the first baseball owner with a significant public persona, with his thick German accent bushy mustache and showmanship, he was as much of a story as his players. The Browns dominated the American Association, winning four league championships starting in 1885, and the baseball, beer. He made $500,000 off the team alone. He set the price at 25 cents, hoping fans would spend money on beer. As a result, the Browns led the league in attendance, the term fan is sometimes attributed to von der Ahe. In 1885, von der Ahe erected a statue outside of Sportsmans Park, not of any of his star players. A sportswriter from Denver mockingly dubbed the statue Von der Ahe discovers Illinois, although eccentric, von der Ahe made a number of innovations, including operating a farm club called the St. Louis Whites. Also, tradition holds that von der Ahe was the first to sell hot dogs at the ballpark, Von der Ahe billed himself as the Millionaire Sportsman. In 1887, after a showing in the World Series. In 1891, he was majority owner of the Cincinnati Kellys Killers which played for part of one season in the American Association. In 1892 the team joined the National League after the American Association folded, by this time, Comiskey had lost patience with von der Ahe and left for the Cincinnati Reds. Without Comiskey, the Browns quickly became a last-place team, legal problems plagued von der Ahes ownership, especially in the later years. The league, which prohibited gambling on its grounds, disapproved of the race track, the press called the facility Coney Island West and nicknamed von der Ahe Von der Ha Ha. With losses still piling up, von der Ahe resorted to selling off his best players, in 1898, part of the ballpark burned down during an April game with Chicago, his second wife divorced him, and his bondsman kidnapped him for not paying his debts. In a highly publicized trial connected with the fire, von der Ahe lost his baseball team, the Browns changed hands twice and changed their name twice, first to the Perfectos and then to the Cardinals

15.
Road (sports)
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A road game or away game is a sports game where the specified team is not the host and must travel to another venue. Most professional teams represent cities or towns and amateur sports teams often represent academic institutions, each team has a location where it practices during the season and where it hosts games. When a team is not the host, it must travel to games. Thus, when a team is not hosting a game, the team is described as the team, the visiting team, or the away team. The venue in which the game is played is described as the stadium or the road. The host team is said to be the home team, major sporting events, if not held at a neutral venue, are often over several legs at each teams home ground, so that neither team has an advantage over the other. Occasionally, the team may not have to travel very far at all to a road game. These matches often become local derbies, a few times a year, a road team may even be lucky enough to have the road game played at their own home stadium or arena. This is prevalent in college athletics where many schools will play in regional leagues or groundshare. The related term true road game has seen increasing use in U. S. college sports in the 21st century, while regular-season tournaments and other special events have been part of college sports from their creation, the 21st century has seen a proliferation of such events. These are typically held at sites, with some of them taking place outside the contiguous U. S. or even outside the country entirely. In turn, this has led to the use of true road game to refer to contests played at one home venue. In some association football leagues, particularly in Europe, the teams fans sit in their own section. Depending on the stadium, they will either sit in a designated section or be separated from the home fans by a cordon of police officers. However, in the leagues in England, supporters may be free to mix. When games are played at a site, for instance the FA Cup final in England which is always played at Wembley Stadium. This results in each team occupying one half of the stadium and this is different from other sports, particularly in North America, where very few fans travel to games played away from their home stadium. Home and away fans are not separated at these games

16.
1908 Chicago Cubs season
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The 1908 Chicago Cubs season was the 37th season of the Chicago Cubs franchise, the 33rd in the National League and the 16th at West Side Park. It involved the Cubs winning their third consecutive National League pennant and this team included four future Hall of Famers, manager / first baseman Frank Chance, second baseman Johnny Evers, shortstop Joe Tinker, and pitcher Mordecai Brown. In 1908, Brown finished second in the NL in wins and this would be the last World Series victory for the Cubs until the 2016 World Series. The Cubs started the season in Cincinnati, orval Overall was the Cubs Opening Day starting pitcher. Overall gave up five hits and committed an error in the first inning as the Reds take a 5–0 lead, the Cubs tied the game in the sixth and won the game in the ninth. Cubs pinch hitter Heinie Zimmerman drove in Johnny Evers, Mordecai Three Finger Brown pitched in the ninth and gets a save for the Cubs. The home opener was on April 22, owner Charles Murphy had added several new seats to the stadium. Long-time Cub player-manager Cap Anson threw out the first pitch, Tinker, Evers and Chance turn their second double play of the season as the Cubs beat the Reds by a score of 7–3. On June 30, the Pirates took first place, as the Chicago Cubs lost to the Cincinnati Reds, starting on July 2, the Pirates started a critical five game series against the Cubs. In the first game, Three Finger Brown threw a six hit, no walk shutout, Brown was 10–1 on the season. On September 26, starting pitcher Ed Reulbach became the pitcher in Major League Baseball history to pitch two shutouts on the same day. That day, the Cubs played a doubleheader against the Brooklyn Dodgers, Reulbach pitched both games to completion, which the Cubs won by scores of 5–0 and 3–0. In the bottom of the 9th inning, Merkle came to bat with two outs, and the score tied 1–1, at the time, Moose McCormick was on first base. Merkle singled, and McCormick advanced to third, al Bridwell followed with another single, and McCormick trotted home to score the apparent winning run. The New York fans in attendance, under the impression that the game was over, meanwhile, Merkle, thinking the game was over, ran to the Giants clubhouse without touching second base. Cubs second baseman Johnny Evers noticed this, and after retrieving a ball and touching second base, since Merkle had not touched the base, the umpire called him out on a force play, and McCormicks run did not count. The run was nullified, the Giants victory erased. Unfortunately, the thousands of fans on the field prevented resumption of the game, the Giants and the Cubs would end the season tied for first place and would have a rematch at the Polo Grounds on October 8

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1908 New York Giants season
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The 1908 New York Giants season was the franchises 26th season. The team finished in place in the National League with an 98-56 record,1 game behind the Chicago Cubs. Paced by Turkey Mike Donlin, the offense scored the most runs in the league, Donlin led the team in nearly all batting categories and was second in batting to Honus Wagner. Future Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson had another season for New York, earning the pitching triple crown with 37 wins,259 Ks. However, he lost the last game of the season to Three Finger Brown of the Chicago Cubs, and that one-game playoff became necessary after Giants rookie Fred Merkle failed to touch second base at the end of a previous contest, costing them a win. In addition, they were beaten by another rookie, Phillies pitcher Harry Coveleski, Coveleski was subsequently nicknamed The Giant Killer. The Giants opened the season on the road with a 3–1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, the Giants took five of their first six games of the season. The home opener at the Polo Grounds was the biggest in club history, the Brooklyn Superbas took a 2–1 lead into the bottom of the ninth. Fred Merkle pinch hit for Christy Mathewson and got a ground rule double, Merkle safely advanced to third base on a sacrifice bunt. Fred Tenney hit a grounder and Merkle was caught off third, captain Donlin hit a two run home run over the right field wall to win the home opener for the Giants by a score of 3–2. On July 4, Hooks Wiltse had a perfect game heading into the ninth inning, with two out in the ninth, the perfect game was still intact. George McQuillan was hit by a pitch and Wiltse lost the perfect game, on August 27, the Giants won 18 of their last 23 to take the lead in the National League for the first time since April. During the Giants four game sweep of the Pirates in late August, the first electric scoreboard was outside Madison Square Garden, and there was another near the Gotham Theatre on 125th Street. On Wednesday, September 23, against the Chicago Cubs, 19-year-old Fred Merkle committed a base running error that became known as Merkles Boner. In the bottom of the 9th inning, he came up to bat with two outs, and the score tied 1–1, at the time, Moose McCormick was on first base. Merkle singled, and McCormick advanced to third, al Bridwell, the next batter, followed with a single of his own. McCormick went home, apparently scoring the winning run of the game, the fans in attendance, under the impression that the game was over, ran onto the field to celebrate. Meanwhile, Merkle, trying to escape the mob of people, Cubs second baseman Johnny Evers noticed this, and after retrieving a ball and touching second base, he appealed to umpire Hank ODay to call Merkle out

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1908 Boston Doves season
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On April 29, New York Giants manager John McGraw ridiculed Doves player and former Giants player Dan McGann by calling him an ice wagon. Many former Giants were now on the Doves roster, McGraw and McGann engaged in a fight at the Copley Square Hotel. Note, Pos = Position, G = Games played, AB = At bats, H = Hits, = Batting average, HR = Home runs, RBI = Runs batted in Note, G = Games played, AB = At bats, H = Hits, Avg

19.
Fred Beebe
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Frederick Leonard Beebe was a professional baseball player. He played for the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, Beebe played baseball for the Hyde Park High School in Chicago and the University of Illinois. Beebe made his debut on April 17,1906. In his rookie year, Beebe led the Major Leagues with 171 strikeouts, after leaving the league, he served as the head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers college baseball team

20.
Irv Higginbotham
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Irving Clinton Higginbotham, was a professional baseball player who played pitcher in the Major Leagues from 1906 to 1909. He would play for the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs, Higginbotham was born on April 26,1881 in Blyburg, Nebraska. He had his Major League Baseball debut on August 11,1906 and his professional baseball career ended in 1909. Later in life, he worked as a painter, he was a member of Painter Union 300 in Seattle, Higginbotham died of a heart ailment in Seattle on June 13,1959 and was buried in Acacia Memorial Park in King County, Washington

21.
Ed Karger
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Edwin Karger was a pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1906 to 1911. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, Karger finished his career with a 48–67 win–loss record and a 2.79 earned run average. On August 11,1907 in a game against the Boston Braves, list of St. Louis Cardinals team records Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Baseball-Reference

22.
Slim Sallee
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Harry Franklin Slim Sallee was a professional baseball player. He was a pitcher over parts of fourteen seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants. For his career, he compiled a 174–143 record in 476 appearances, in Cardinals franchise history, Sallee ranks 3rd all-time in earned run average, 7th in innings pitched, 8th in games started and wins, and 7th in losses. Sallee pitched in two World Series, both against the Chicago White Sox, and was a member of the victorious Reds in the infamous Black Sox 1919 World Series. He produced the best season of his career for the 1919 Reds and he lost a World Series to the White Sox as a member of the 1917 Giants, starting Game 1 and losing 2-1 to Sox ace Eddie Cicotte in Chicago, driving in his teams only run. In World Series play, Sallee compiled a 1–3 record in four appearances, with a 3.45 earned run average, Sallee was born and later died in Higginsport, Ohio at the age of 65. He was buried at St. Joseph Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio, List of St. Louis Cardinals team records List of Major League Baseball annual saves leaders Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Baseball-Reference

23.
Doc Marshall (catcher)
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William Riddle Marshall, is a former professional baseball player who played catcher from 1904 to 1909. He briefly managed the Chicago Whales during the inaugural Federal League season, in 1907, while playing for the Cardinals he led all catchers in assists and errors. Marshall was purchased by the Chicago Cubs on May 29,1908 and made a number of appearances that season, after retiring from baseball, he became a doctor and practiced medicine for 45 years in Clinton. He attended college at Grove City College, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Baseball-Reference Doc Marshall at Find a Grave

24.
Charley Moran
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After graduating, he became an assistant to Pop Warner at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. Moran coached the University of Nashville football team in 1900 and 1901, the 1901 team was one of the Souths greatest. Moran played minor league baseball in 1902 for teams in Little Rock, Chattanooga, in 1903, Moran pitched for the National Leagues St. Louis Cardinals, who finished in last place, but he appeared in only three games before injuring his arm. He posted a 5.25 earned run average in his tenure of 24 innings, being charged with a loss without earning a win. He went back to the leagues to manage the Dallas Giants in 1904. He returned to the Cardinals as a catcher in 1908 and played in 21 games and his minor league career continued with teams in Milwaukee, Mobile, New Orleans, Dallas and Montgomery until he suffered a broken leg in 1912. He briefly played with teams in Chattanooga and Brunswick in 1913 before retiring as a player, after managing an Austin team in 1914, he began umpiring, in the Texas League in 1915–16 and the Southern Association in 1917. Moran began coaching football in 1909 at Texas A&M, where he accumulated a 38–8–4 record as coach over six seasons through 1914. This may be incorrect as he was elevated to head coach after the game of the 1909 season. He became a National League umpire in 1918, a job he held through the 1939 season and he officiated in four World Series, serving as crew chief on the last two occasions. He was behind the plate on May 8,1929 when Carl Hubbell of the New York Giants pitched an 11–0 no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Moran also resumed his career as a head coach in 1917 at Centre College. The first two games of the 1917 season were coached by Robert L, chief Myers, and the rest by Moran. According to Centre publications, Myers realized he was dealing with a group of exceptional athletes and he needed someone who could the team justice, and found that person in Charles Moran. His record including undefeated seasons in 1919 and 1921, when the team was led on the field by Hall of Fame quarterback Bo McMillin. On October 29,1921, Moran guided Centre College to a historic 6–0 upset of Harvard, the game, commonly appreviated C6-H0, was ranked the 3rd biggest upset in college football history by ESPN. During the 1921 season Moran began a friendship with future baseball commissioner Happy Chandler, Moran then moved to Bucknell University, where he had a 19–10–2 record from 1924 through 1926. He was co-coach with Ed Weir of the NFLs Frankford Yellow Jackets in 1927 and his final coaching job was at Catawba College from 1930 through 1933, where he had a 22–11–5 record